Chapter 67

“Hero…”

A bright light burst forth from the edge of the dark horizon. Araidel and Reinhaim, looking utterly exhausted, had barely managed to escape when they saw the black energy emanating from behind Grimudo and were left speechless.

Despite focusing all their divine power into a single point to break through as quickly as possible, the Hero Party was already on the brink of annihilation by the time they got out.

‘No way… How could the Sacred Sword be cracked…’

Araidel covered her mouth with her hand as she stared at the cracked Sacred Sword. Just by looking at it, she could tell how much the Hero had suffered. How overwhelming must the enemy have been to reduce the Sacred Sword, a crystallization of divine power forged by the Three Divine Gods, to such a state?

The state of the sword’s wielder was no better. Tears were the only response.

“Saint! Archbishop!”

As Yurinel was about to shout for everyone to flee, Reinhaim suddenly struck her own chest. Her eyes burned with rage toward the Church, and divine power surged from her entire body.

Grimudo, who had been preparing something, stopped and looked at the Archbishop with interest.

“A Self-Sacrifice Spell, huh? You really don’t value your life, do you?”

“This foolish servant offers her life to the Goddess.”

Reinhaim took a calm step forward. The divine power surging through her body made her look, for a brief moment, like an angel descended from heaven.

Though she had long passed middle age, she had always appeared as a beautiful young woman in her 20s. But now, she began to look like a woman in her 30s, then a beautiful lady in her 40s, and soon wrinkles began to appear one by one.

“Archbishop… why… why are you doing this…?”

“Saint. Here, I will offer my life to the Goddess. You must escape, no matter what.”

“I can’t! Archbishop, if you’re going to do this, then I’ll…”

As Araidel looked at the Archbishop with tearful eyes, she had already become a wise old woman. Yet, the glasses on her face remained neatly in place.

“Saint. Do you know why I am sacrificing my life here?”

For the first time, she smiled. A wide, radiant smile.

Her wrinkled lips trembled.

“It’s because you possess something I, an old woman, do not. That’s why I can die, but you cannot. Saint. Do you know what your strength is?”

“No, I don’t! I’m not as smart as you, Archbishop!”

The Saint—no, a young girl—grabbed the Archbishop’s hand and burst into tears.

She sobbed as she felt the hand losing its strength. Reinhaim smiled gently and stroked the girl’s forehead. The Saint sniffled.

“I’m not as strong as Arseria, nor can I use complex holy spells like Sestine. You said I would surpass them, but I never believed it! So why are you sacrificing yourself for someone like me…?”

“It’s that purity, Saint. People live by faith.”

Reinhaim hugged the Saint one last time. Then, she pushed away Araidel, who was clinging to her, and began her final pilgrimage.

Grimudo did not stop the Archbishop as she walked toward Yurinel Larkponsia—or rather, toward the Sacred Sword. He simply watched quietly as they prepared their final strike.

“People like me and the Pope are those who see and touch the filth of the world. So when we think of something, we consider what is beneficial rather than what is right or wrong.”

“Even when we try to act, we first consider whether it will help the Goddess, expand the Church’s influence, or bring benefits to the Church. There is no one in our Church who can act purely, like you, Saint, doing what they believe is right without hesitation.”

“Do you think our faith is pure? You, Saint, perform good deeds without any thought of gain or loss. Even when you act on impulse, you never stray from the path of righteousness. Araidel. That faith is the purest power to the Goddess.”

Finally, Reinhaim reached the Sacred Sword. Her body was already cracking in places, but her eyes were clearer than ever. Her gaze met Yurinel’s, and Yurinel could no longer hold back and closed her eyes.

Her voice trembled.

“Are you leaving?”

“I must. Why do you ask? I am merely returning to the Goddess a little earlier.”

As her fingers wrapped around the blade, particles of light seeped out from the cracks in her body and flowed into the Sacred Sword.

Like filling the gaps in a crumbling brick wall, Reinhaim used her life to mend the cracks in the Sacred Sword. Through the power of self-sacrifice, the most sublime faith, she temporarily restored the Sacred Sword.

“Hero, please… take this one chance against Grimudo…!”

The Archbishop, now a withered mummy, collapsed to the ground. Yurinel clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. If she didn’t, the tears would flow. She had no choice but to close them.

When she opened her eyes again, she looked at Parnell, who had recovered a bit of her magical power.

-Really?

With just a glance, Parnell understood the Hero’s intention and pursed her lips.

The Hero nodded without hesitation. After witnessing Reinhaim’s self-sacrifice, her duty as a Hero overwhelmed her. The woman holding the glowing Sacred Sword shouted.

“Parnell. I’ll create an opening. Use it to escape with everyone.”

“Yurinel. But then you…”

“That’s what a Hero does.”

All greed, desire, and burden—

The woman, now free of them, smiled brightly.

“Back then, Kyle made everyone escape. Now it’s my turn.”

Ah, I remember. That time long ago.

When the man-eating monster, the Manticore, chased the village children.

Helplessly chased, about to be caught and eaten, someone threw a stone at the monster, deliberately drawing its anger to divert its attention. While the Manticore played with its new toy, more children could escape.

The one who threw the stone was a child like her, but she wasn’t afraid of the Manticore. No, she was afraid. Her legs were clearly trembling.

But she feared something more than being eaten by the monster. Even when the venomous scorpion’s tail stung her cheek and injected its poison, even when the lion’s paw pushed her around and played with her.

Knowing death was approaching, that child kept the Manticore’s attention until the end. She volunteered to be the plaything of that cruel monster that loved to toy with people.

That child, now grown, stood before Grimudo and protected everyone once again. Without anyone’s coercion or demand, she stepped forward as if it were natural, letting everyone escape.

That person is gone now, and I pushed them away.

Then it’s only right that the one who pushed them away takes on that role. The gap between her and Grimudo might be even greater than the gap between Kyle and the Manticore back then. Even with the Sacred Sword, there’s no sign of victory.

But still, because she’s the Hero.

Now, she can move forward, repeating those words.

Even though she knows she can’t win.

Even though she knows she will die.

“Alright, let’s burn our last moments together.”

As she prepared to strike with the Sacred Sword, the sword trembled and pulsed.

Yurinel’s expression hardened. The Sacred Sword resonated with her divine power and suddenly began to suck away her magical energy.

Marks of holiness appeared on her hands and wrists, and the blood that flowed out shone golden as it was absorbed by the Sacred Sword.

Even she couldn’t believe that blood was flowing from her sturdy Hero’s body. She hurriedly tried to heal the wounds with divine power, but even that was swallowed by the sword.

“What are you trying to do? Are you trying to pour all your power into the sword to unleash its final potential?”

Even Grimudo, who had never seen such a sight, was stunned. It was such a bizarre occurrence that everyone was left in awe.

Even Harmail, who had just regained consciousness, became dazed again. She seriously wondered if she was still hallucinating from the mental attack, it was that strange.

“Let go! Why are you doing this?!”

Yurinel tried to throw the Sacred Sword away, but it clung to her hand, refusing to let go. Her fingers wouldn’t release the hilt, and her life force was being drained into the sword.

Was the Sacred Sword betraying her? Was it going to absorb all her power, repair itself, and then leave to find the next Hero? Trembling with betrayal, Yurinel realized that wasn’t the case.

The Sacred Sword. A holy sword. It has a will, a consciousness.

That will wanted Yurinel to live. It valued its wielder, the Hero who matched it so well, more than even the Three Divine Gods who created it.

Even if it meant its own destruction.

It still wanted to save this generation’s Hero.

Crack!

The Sacred Sword, having absorbed all of Yurinel’s power, surged with terrifying energy and charged at Grimudo.

A weapon without a master. Just a lump of metal. Yet Grimudo did not ignore the holy weapon. A weapon that sacrifices itself for its master is better than a human.

“A weapon that sacrifices itself for its master. It’s no longer just a simple weapon. I underestimated you. Very well, I’ll give you my best.”

The ‘Grimudo’ behind him bowed slightly in respect, then spread his arms and grabbed the Sacred Sword.

The black energy, a single drop of which could taint the entire world, surged from Grimudo’s body. How much more so when it was the magical power that composed ‘Grimudo’ himself?

A thick, oppressive darkness erupted in all directions. Seizing the moment, Parnell removed a gem from her necklace and blew into it.

With Yurinel, drained of strength, Lucia, who had lost her will to fight, and the Saint, left dazed without her protector, Parnell desperately calculated a warp spell, remotely engraving a magic circle beneath them.

“Parnell! The Archbishop’s body is over there…”

“Sorry, but if we try to retrieve the dead, we’ll all die.”

Parnell focused her energy on the gem in her hand, gathering her friends beside her, and prepared for a long-distance teleportation. She had to create a teleportation gate to escape far, far away—anywhere would do.

Short-range warps wouldn’t escape Grimudo’s detection. They had to flee like migratory birds, far and wide, or they would be tracked down and the same tragedy would repeat.

Whoosh!

The royal treasure, the Teleport Stone, began to open a gate after absorbing enough magical energy. Everyone was anxious. Because far away, they all heard the Sacred Sword screaming.

With a loud crash, fragments of the sword, now devoid of any holiness, fell to the ground. Just as the teleportation was about to complete, a man in the distance looked at them.

He simply watched them, then carved a mark in the air. No one knew what he was doing, and Parnell didn’t care. As long as it wasn’t an attack, they would soon escape via teleportation, so what did it matter?

But Lucia’s expression changed drastically. Horror filled her face, which had lost all will, and her mental trauma resurfaced, forcing her to cover her head with her hands. Lucia shouted. No.

That, that must not happen. I’d rather die than fall to that.

“Polymorph Curse…! No, that’s…”

Turning people into something other than human.

Transforming intelligence into mindlessness.

The most heinous technique Grimudo developed by studying the biological mechanisms of the Primal Body to bring about the destruction of his era. The very curse that turned the Western Family into an animal farm struck them just before the teleportation activated. And then, flash!

The Teleport Stone activated.

-Gurgle.

After everything disappeared, the King of Monsters spread its wings. It approached Grimudo, claiming its throne, and bowed its head.

Grimudo chuckled and stroked the large bird.

Shall we chase them? The bird asked with its eyes and actions, but the Demon King simply shook his head.

“I have one more thing to do while I’m out.”

He never did meet that priest, but that wasn’t the only reason he came out in the first place.

“You go have fun and come back later.”

The bird let out a laugh and soared into the sky. Grimudo dusted off his hands and stretched them out, opening something.

The void opened, revealing a dark passage. Harmail, still staggering, finally regained her senses and spoke.

“Wait!”

It was instinct, not thought. After speaking, she flinched, fearing another mental attack, but Grimudo simply stared at her.

Finally somewhat reassured, Harmail composed herself and continued.

“Shouldn’t we track them down and eliminate the threat? If they return safely to the Church Country, even you might get caught up in troublesome affairs. Don’t underestimate human strongholds. The truly powerful might be hiding in the shadows of the world.”

Even as she spoke, Harmail couldn’t imagine a situation where Grimudo would be in danger, but she desperately wanted to eliminate the Hero Party, the root of all trouble.

Now, with the Sacred Sword lost, the whip lost, no magical power, and no Archbishop, was the perfect opportunity to annihilate the Hero Party and take the Saint hostage to force negotiations with the Church Country.

“Do it yourself if you want.”

Grimudo flicked his finger, and the black gate appeared behind Harmail.

The Demon Emperor, trembling, looked at the gate behind her as the Demon King slowly disappeared with his hands behind his back.

“I tracked where they went, but there’s no need to worry further.”

He felt the Polymorph Curse take effect. Why chase down and kill those who had already turned into animals? He didn’t enjoy animal cruelty.

“…I can’t miss this opportunity.”

With the Demon King gone, only the Demon Emperor remained. After hesitating, she jumped into the passage Grimudo had opened. The gate closed shortly after.

Only the devastated remains of the battlefield were left.

In that desolate land, only Reinhaim’s dried-up corpse remained. Yet, she died with a smile. Whether her wish was fulfilled, however, remains unknown.